wag-wanton

English

Etymology 1

Compound of wag +‎ wanton, referring to the shaking of Briza flowers in the breeze.

Noun

wag-wanton (countable and uncountable, plural wag-wantons) (UK, regional, obsolete)

  1. quaking grass: any of a genus, Briza, of grasses
    Synonym: wagwant

Etymology 2

Formed independently as a compound from the etymology above, with wanton being used in the sense of sexual promiscuity. First attested in 1601.[1]

Alternative forms

Noun

wag-wanton (plural wag-wantons) (UK, regional, obsolete)

  1. a sexually promiscuous person

Adjective

wag-wanton (comparative more wag-wanton, superlative most wag-wanton) (UK, regional, obsolete)

  1. Synonym of wanton.
    • c. 1568-1574, L. Barber, editor, Misogonus‎[1], Routledge, published 2019, →ISBN, page 94:
      No man durst scarce this wag-wanton touch.

Adverb

wag-wanton (comparative more wag-wanton, superlative most wag-wanton) (UK, regional, obsolete)

  1. rowdily (in a manner lacking order)
    • 1601, J. Deacon and J. Walker, Summarie Answere to Darel, page 72:
      [T]hen euery little childe that playeth wag-wanton […]
  2. promiscuously (indiscriminately or wantonly choosing one's sexual partners)
    • 1604, N. Breton, Grimellos fortunes:
      Well hit, but, to the fourth now: Wagge-wanton with his mistresse.

Synonyms

References

  1. ^ “wag-wanton, n.”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
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